Abstract
The Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, and olive oil as the main source of added fat, a moderate consumption of fish and wine, and a low consumption of meat and dairy products as a source of saturated fat. Several epidemiological studies have shown that higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with slower cognitive decline in older persons. This protective effect might be mediated by omega-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA). We investigated this hypothesis in 1050 participants in the 3City study from Bordeaux. After multivariable adjustment including apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype, plasma docosahexaenoic acid and total n-3 PUFA were positively associated with a score of adherence to a Mediterranean diet. Plasma eicosapentaenoic acid was positively associated with adherence only in ApoE4 non-carriers. These data suggest that the protective effect of the Mediterranean diet on cognitive functions might be partly mediated by higher plasma n-3 PUFA.
Highlights
The Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, and olive oil as the main source of added fat, a moderate consumption of fish and wine, and a low consumption of meat and dairy products as a source of saturated fat
The aim of this paper is to summarize these findings and to examine whether these protective effects might be mediated by polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega-3 series (n-3 PUFA)
– What are the general features of the so-called Mediterranean diet? – What are the links between the Mediterranean diet and cognition, based on epidemiological evidence coming in particular from the French Three-City (3C) study? – And which components of the Mediterranean diet could contribute to improve cognition in older persons, focusing on fatty acids
Summary
This may translate into various traditional dishes, for instance fish and vegetables in southern France, pasta in Italy, couscous or tajine in the Maghreb, bread and tomato in Spain, without forgetting the famous Greek salad Despite their apparent diversity, these traditional dishes have some common features which led to the conceptualization of a so-called « Mediterranean diet » characterized by a high consumption of fruits, vegetables and cereals as the basis of daily dietary intake, regular consumption of fish and seafood, and a relatively low consumption of meat and dairy products as a source of saturated fat (Trichopoulou et al, 2003). One point is given for consumption below the sex-specific median for meat and dairy products which are supposed to be detrimental, in particular because of their high content in saturated fat. A meta-analysis (Sofi et al, 2008), recently updated (Sofi et al, 2010), showed that a 2-point increase on the score of adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a 9% decreased risk of all-cause mortality
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